SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DogTime Media, the largest vertical media community focused exclusively on pet owners, announced the winners of the 2013 DogTime Pet Blog Awards, also known as "The Petties."

Considered by many to be "the Oscars of the pet blogging world," the Petties draw pet lovers from across the country to vote for their favorite bloggers, mobile apps, and animal shelters & rescues. The Petties is the largest awards program in the pet space and this year it expanded to include the inaugural Petties Video Awards.

On Friday, September 6, DogTime Media announced the 10 Petties winners and the person chosen as the Unsung Hero via an online awards ceremony.

"This year was the most exciting Petties ceremony yet, with the premiere of the Petties Video Awards," said Simon Tonner, president & CEO of DogTime Media. "Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners, as well as the shelters that received $30,000 in donations."

2013 DogTime Pet Blog Award Winners:

Each winner receives a Petties award trophy and a $1,000 donation to the non-profit animal shelter or rescue of their choice.

Unsung Hero AwardEach year the Petties also recognizes a volunteer who worked tirelessly to support a shelter or rescue in their community. The winner of the 2013 Unsung Hero award is Jason Flatt who is the founder of Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue located in Dallas, Georgia. Jason will receive a Petties trophy and a $10,000 donation from DogTime Media to the Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue. Jason was absolutely thrilled to have won this award of out of thousands of volunteer nominations DogTime received.

"My initial reaction was, I wish my mom was alive to see this," said Flatt. "I am thankful for the animals I have rescued and they have made me a much better person. The money will go towards expanding our 14 acre facility. This award belongs not just to me, but my organization. Without my family, my Forlorn family, and the people who support us, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything."

Earlier in the nomination process, the Petties Grant of $10,000 was donated to the Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary located in St. Pauls, North Carolina. Since the beginning of the Petties program, over $80,000 has been donated to shelters and rescues across the nation.

Petties winners will provide acceptance speeches later in the month, which will appear on petties.dogtime.com.

About DogTime Media: DogTime Media is the largest vertical media community focused exclusively on pet owners and the $55 billion annual pet market. DogTime Media reaches 55 million monthly users via its community of 545 leading pet-focused websites, 610 pet bloggers, and more than 3,000 rescue groups, anchored by its own DogTime.com and CatTime.com.

DogTime Media actively supports the efforts of rescue groups and shelters nationwide to significantly reduce the number of homeless and neglected pets by providing authoritative advice to both novice and experienced pet guardians. DogTime Media has donated over $300,000 to pet-related causes through monthly grants and a variety of other programs. Privately held, DogTime Media is based in San Francisco, Calif.